For several years, Russia, which was a key player in Africa during the Soviet era, has been pushing its pawns into African countries, which have not been convinced by the West to join its sanctions against Moscow.
Groups of Russian mercenaries like Wagner, or its successor Africa Corps, support local authorities, and “advisors”, according to Moscow, work with local officials. This is particularly the case in the Central African Republic and especially in the Sahel countries where the growing influence of Russia has been accompanied by the meteoric decline of that of France.
Russia accuses Ukraine of opening “a second front” in Africa
Weapons and raw materials
In 2023, Russia delivered more than $5 billion worth of arms to the African continent (4.7 billion euros), according to the Russian public company Rosoboronexport.
And its large groups are closely interested in African raw materials: Alrosa in Angola and Zimbabwe (diamonds); Lukoil in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo (oil); Rusal in Guinea (bauxite)…
Alongside a strategy of informational influence, particularly on social networks, Moscow is continuing the development of its network of cultural centers, the Russian Houses, with openings announced in September, in Guinea, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Chad.
Responsible for promoting Russian culture and language in Africa according to Moscow, their real purpose is to “disseminate the Kremlin's stories on international events”, believes researcher Ivan Klyszcz, of the International Center for Defense and Security in Estonia.
The rhetoric of the organizers of the Russia-Africa conference in Sochi, against “neocolonialism” or “the common fight against Western propaganda”, finds echo among some African leaders.
According to Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev, many appreciate “those who can resist and give a punch to the Westerners”and see Vladimir Putin as ““well capable” to play this role.
But the nature of the links between Moscow and certain African countries also sometimes gives rise to certain tensions on the national scene of certain States. This is particularly the case in South Africa, which maintains historic close relations with Moscow. When President Cyril Ramaphosa described Russia as a“dear ally” and“precious friend”the partner of his party the ANC in government, sharply contradicted him: The Democratic Alliance (DA) did not hesitate to say that it did not consider “not Russia, or Vladimir Putin, as an ally.”
